Apparatus for attaching a steering handle to a two-wheel vehicle

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for attaching a steering handle in a two-wheel vehicle comprises a handle post secured to a bracket supporting a steering handle, the handle post being rotatably and removably attached to a steering stem within a head pipe, the bracket being provided with a fixing member connectable with and disconnectable from the front wheel fork.

United States Patent Michiuchi 15 3,664,209 1 May 23,1972

APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING A STEERING HANDLE TO A TWO- WHEEL VEHICLEMasayukl Mlchluchl, l-lamamatsu, Japan Honda Giken Kogyo KlbuihlkiKalshl, Tokyo, Japan Filed: Sept. 8, 1970 App1.No.: 70,076

Inventor:

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 4, 1970 Japan ..45/3l903 US. Cl..74/551.3, 74/55 1 .6, 287/54 E Int. Cl. ..B62k 21/24 Field ofSearch..74/551.3, 551.6, 551.1;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Hood ..74/55 1.3

757,154 4/1904 Tate ..74/55l.6 3,391,582 7/1968 Polley, Jr. ..74/55l.1

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 912,868 8/1946 France ..74/551.3

Primary Examiner-William F. ODea Assistant Examiner-F. D. ShoemakerAnomeyWaters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus forattaching a'steering handle in a two-wheel vehicle comprises a handlepost secured to a bracket supporting a steering handle, the handle postbeing rotatably and removabiy attached to a steering stern within a headpipe, the bracket being provided with a fixing member connectable withand disconnectable from the front wheel fork.

8C1aims,2Drawingl'1gures PATENTEU MAY 2 3 m2 SHEEI 1 BF 2 INVENTOR aPATENTEUMAY 2 3 I972 3 ,664, 2 O9 sum 2 OF 2 INVENTOR APPARATUS FORA'I'IACHING A STEERING HANDLE TO A TWO-WHEEL VEHICLE BRIEF SUMMARY OFTHE INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus for attaching asteering handle in a two-wheeled vehicle wherein, by a simple operation,the steering handle can be rotated to a storage position parallel withthe vehicle body or removed from the body.

Generally, the steering handle in a two-wheel vehicle projects outwardlyon both sides of the vehicle body, and therefore the handle isobstructive and inconvenient for transport or storage of the vehicle.

Accordingly, the invention contemplates a steering handle supported on asteering stem on a head pipe so as to be rotatable thereabout and alsoremovable in the axial direction thereof, whereby storage transport, orrepairs of the twowheel vehicle can be facilitated either by rotatingthe steering handle to a position nearly parallel with the vehicle bodyor by removing the handle from the steering stem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewof the apparatus according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A head pipe 1 is secured to a front portion of thebody of a two-wheel vehicle and a steering stem 2 is rotatably supportedin the head pipe 1 through bearings. A lower bridge 4 of a front-wheelfork 5 is fixed to the lower end portion of the steering stem 2 and anupper bridge 3 of the front-wheel fork 5 is mounted on the upper portionof the steering stem 2 such that the front-wheel fork 5 can be rotatablysupported on the head pipe 1 by the threaded engagement of a nut 6 onthe upper end of the steering stem 2.

A handle post 9 is rotatably mounted in the upper end of the steeringstem 2 and is extractable therefrom, and a bracket 8 supporting asteering handle 7 instead therethrough is secured to the upper portionof the handle post 9. At the top end of the bracket 8, there is inserteda screw rod 10 having a knob 11, and this screw rod 10 is engageablewith a nut 12 fixed at the middle portion of the upper bridge 3.

If the screw rod 10 is screwed into the nut 12 as illustrated in FIGS. 1and 2, the steering handle 7 is fixed to the frontwheel fork 5 throughthe bracket 8, so that the front-wheel fork 5 can be rotated along withthe steering handle 7 (right and left about the steering stem 2). Thusthe steering handle 7 Y can be secured in an operative position ofordinary use in relation to the vehicle body. For rotating the steeringhandle 7 from the operative or use position (shown in solid lines inFIG. 2) to a storage position (shown in chain dotted lines in FIG. 2)nearly parallel with the vehicle body, the screw rod 10 is turned in itsloosening direction by engaging the knob 11 and is removed from the nut12 and the bracket 8 is pulled upward, and then the steering handle 7 isturned about 90 degrees with respect to the steering stem 2, whereby thesteering handle 7 is brought into the storage position nearly parallelwith the vehicle body. In the storage position of the steering handle 7,the screw rod 10 can be screwed into a housing 13 in the upper bridge 3and thus the steering handle 7 can be secured in its storage position.

Additionally, the steering handle 7 cube withdrawn in entirety from thesteering stem 2 together with the handle post 9 and stored separately.

The screw rod 10 can be replaced by any other fixing member, and inthiscase the nut 12 will be replaced by a member cooperating with saidfixing member.

According to the invention, as described above, the steering handle canbe freely rotated in the steering stem when released from thefront-wheel fork, so that as occasion demands the steeringl handle canbe rotated to its storage positron nearly paralle with the vehicle body.Addition y, the

handle can be removed from the steering stem for convenience in storage,transport, repairs etc. of the vehicle. Additionally, the joining andseparating operations between the steering handle and the front-wheelfork can be effected merely by manipulating only a single fixing member,so that these operations are very simple.

Additionally, since the steering handle is supported at two points, thatis, by the handle post and the fixing member when the same is in itsoperative position, the attachment thereof is secure and reliable.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for attaching a steering handle to the frame of a two-wheelvehicle comprising a head pipe secured to the frame, a steering stemrotatably supported in said head pipe, a handle post secured to thesteering handle and rotatably and removably mounted in the stern, afront wheel fork secured to said stem, a bracket secured to said handlepost, and attachment means for detachably fixing the post and stem forcommon rotation and detachably fixing said post and fork together, saidattachment means comprising an attachment member engageable with saidbracket and said fork.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said attachment member is athreaded fastener threadably engageable with said fork.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said threaded fastener issupported by said bracket to hold the bracket and handle post in securedrelation with said fork and steering stem.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said fork includes upper andlower bridge members secured to said steering stem, said attachmentmeans further comprising a nut secured to said upper bridge member toreceive said fastener.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said bracket and handle arerotatable through an angle of about to a storage position when theattachment member is disengaged from said fork.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 comprising means on said fork forthreadably engaging the attachment member in the storage position.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said attachment membercomprises a manually engageable knob thereon.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said attachment member is asingle member which must be manipulated for fixing the post and stem forcommon rotation.

1. Apparatus for attaching a steering handle to the frame of a two-wheelvehicle comprising a head pipe secured to the frame, a steering stemrotatably supported in said head pipe, a handle post secured to thesteering handle and rotatably and removably mounted in the stem, a frontwheel fork secured to said stem, a bracket secured to said handle post,and attachment means for detachably fixing the post and stem for commonrotation and detachably fixing said post and fork together, saidattachment means comprising an attachment member engageable with saidbracket and said fork.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidattachment member is a threaded fastener threadably engageable with saidfork.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said threaded fasteneris supported by said bracket to hold the bracket and handle post insecured relation with said fork and steering stem.
 4. Apparatus asclaimed in claim 3 wherein said fork includes upper and lower bridgemembers secured to said steering stem, said attachment means furthercomprising a nut secured to said upper bridge member to receive saidfastener.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said bracket andhandle are rotatable through an angle of about 90* to a storage positionwhen the attachment member is disengaged from said fork.
 6. Apparatus asclaimed in claim 5 comprising means on said fork for threadably engagingthe attachment member in the storage position.
 7. Apparatus as claimedin claim 6 wherein said attachment member comprises a manuallyengageable knob thereon.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidattachment member is a single member which must be manipulated forfixing the post and stem for common rotation.